Am I overdoing this?

[Mr. X]

I writing a story on the athletic award winners of the high school I cover, which were presented Tuesday night.

As I discuss the major award winners, I mention where they will be playing next year.

I wrote Smith plans on playing (name of sport) at (name of school), which competes on the Division III nonscholarship level. (We have a rule that we have to explain just about everything to readers who may not know all sports terminology, hence the phrase that is redundant to those here.)

In the next paragraph, I wrote Jones plans on playing (sport) for (name of school), a member of the Ivy League, whose members do not grant athletic scholarships.

Then I wrote Brown will play (sport) as a nonscholarship player at (name of school).

Am I making too big of a deal that none of these athletes are getting college scholarships? Part of me wants to write this to indirectly tell parents how rare it is to get an athletic scholarship if you come from this high school. I believe one person got a scholarship from this year's senior class.

There are also parents who don't know that Division III schools don't give scholarships. I had one once tell me, "So and so is getting a scholarship to (Division III school.)" I said, "That’s a Division III school, which by definition doesn’t give scholarships."

Some of these parents think that my writing about their children will get them athletic scholarships, while I fear others will be angry if I leave and the paper drops sports coverage, because they think it will mean no athletic scholarships for their children, who wouldn't be getting them anyway, in all but one case.

 

[Babs]

I think the way you wrote it is fine. Not enough people know what kinds of colleges give scholarships, or how rare it is.

 

[TyWebb]

Agreed. There is a big difference between playing for a scholarship and not.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

When we write D-III signing stories - or any signing stories for that matter - we don't mention that there is no such thing as a D-III athletic scholarship or that Valerie Varsity is getting $200 in scholarship money to play soccer at D-II Hillbilly Tech.
We just go ahead and write the story about Henry Hick heading to D-III Stumpjumper Tech where he will play Polo. No questions asked.


God I hate it.

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

X,

You're writing facts. Kinda what we're supposed to do. Don't worry about it.

 

[FuturaBold]

Some of these parents think that my writing about their children will get them athletic scholarships, while I fear others will be angry if I leave and the paper drops sports coverage, because they think it will mean no athletic scholarships for their children, who wouldn't be getting them anyway, in all but one case.

I got a phone call once from a parent pretty much demanding that I write a story on their child. She told me that getting a story about her in the paper was part of the requirements for them to get a scholarship.

Huh?

"Well, sorry kid, you can play, you've got potential, you could be a star here at Hillbilly Tech. But that weekly rag in your hometown didn't have enough column inches on you. Good luck working at McDonald's..."

 

[Ace]

Personally, I think it is too much information and bogs it down. Why not just say they are going to Princeton to play water polo or Division III to play lacrosse?

What if the kid at Princeton is getting a full academic ride or the lacrosse coach at the D-3 school has all sorts of grants and such so that his lacrosse players are basically on the school's dime.

I think people pretty much know their is a difference between playing football at Ohio State and squash at Mount Holyhoke.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I'm not so sure Ace,
I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I have never liked the fact that the kid going to Potomac State, on an "athletic scholarship" (by this I mean $600) is getting the same 12-inch write up and a volleyball player who got a full ride to Duke or the basketball player who got a scholarship to Cincinnati.


Besides you have to something to fill in all space between "It was the right fit for me" and "When I visited I really liked what they had to offer" quotes.

 

[Ace]

I'm not so sure Ace,
I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I have never liked the fact that the kid going to Potomac State, on an "athletic scholarship" (by this I mean $600) is getting the same 12-inch write up and a volleyball player who got a full ride to Duke or the basketball player who got a scholarship to Cincinnati.


Besides you have to something to fill in all space between "It was the right fit for me" and "When I visited I really liked what they had to offer" quotes.

Well, how do you know the kid going to run track at UCLA or play baseball at Mississippi is getting a scholarship? What about a partial scholarship?

Baseball teams divvy them up pretty good. Should we say Joe Bloe got a 1/8th scholarship to play baseball at Tennessee Tech?

 

[donaugust]

I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.

I can guarantee this is true. Papers make this mistake all the time.

 

[User 1019]

I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I met a chick from Slippery Rock, once.

That's all I have for this discussion.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I'm not so sure Ace,
I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I have never liked the fact that the kid going to Potomac State, on an "athletic scholarship" (by this I mean $600) is getting the same 12-inch write up and a volleyball player who got a full ride to Duke or the basketball player who got a scholarship to Cincinnati.


Besides you have to something to fill in all space between "It was the right fit for me" and "When I visited I really liked what they had to offer" quotes.

Well, how do you know the kid going to run track at UCLA or play baseball at Mississippi is getting a scholarship? What about a partial scholarship?

Baseball teams divvy them up pretty good. Should we say Joe Bloe got a 1/8th scholarship to play baseball at Tennessee Tech?

In my opinion yes.

I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I met a chick from Slippery Rock, once.

That's all I have for this discussion.

Was she cute?
Before we go any further with this: Your reply will be useless without pictures.

 

[Blue_Water]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

 

[Ace]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

 

[User 1019]

I don't think its such common knowledge that there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship to a D-III school.
While you can tell a difference between a football scholarship to OSU and water polo athletic ride to Slippery Rock, I think it's important to let readers know if the athlete got a full or partial scholarship.

I met a chick from Slippery Rock, once.

That's all I have for this discussion.

Was she cute?
Before we go any further with this: Your reply will be useless without pictures.

Not really, but I hear the girls from Slippery Rock are, um, easy.

And, sorry. No pictures.

 

[MilanWall]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

This is what I usually say, too.

 

[User 4755]

We get releases that Joe Blow "signed" to play at D-3 University, for example. There's no such thing as "signing" to play D-3 ball, other than to sign your application for admission and decide you'll play sports there, and if you're really good, the coach will let you know ahead of time that there's a spot on the team for you.

So I just say "Joe Blow will attend D-3 University, where he will play (name of sport)." And add a graph about his prep stats, and leave it at that. Given that any Tom, **** or Harry could decide to try out for a D-3 school sport at the last moment, I really never have given these things much play at all.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

But what does that mean: That someone has "signed" somewhere to play something?
Doesn't that make a "signing" hollow? Beacause there is no attachment for an athlete to actually play?
How many times have you run a signing story and six months later said athlete has quit the team or left school.
Signing stories seem like a last-gasp effort by parents to get little Johnny Jockstrap some final prep glory and put a finishing touch on the scrapbook.

 

[Ace]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

But what does that mean: That someone has "signed" somewhere to play something?
Doesn't that make a "signing" hollow? Beacause there is no attachment for an athlete to actually play?
How many times have you run a signing story and six months later said athlete has quit the team or left school.
Signing stories seem like a last-gasp effort by parents to get little Johnny Jockstrap some final prep glory and put a finishing touch on the scrapbook.

That's not a story, that's a mention. And it's Mr. Jockstrap to you.

 

[donaugust]

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

Then you'd be wrong. There is no Division III "signing." Just because someone is going to a Division III school doesn't mean they are obliged to play the sport while there.

So-and-so is attending Jackinsaw State and intends to play baseball.